And here we go AGAIN! Another splinter group emerges adding itself to the current cacophony of COG splinter groups.
One of Dave Pack's ministers inTexas has rebelled after listening to Dave expound on his magnificent biblical understanding in his now 270+ sermon series.
Word on the street is that this minister was not known to be a very dynamic person, so some question whether the man will be able to gather a following, though the church is filled with people with itching ears who are attracted to this kind of nonsense.
This is another man who worships Herbert Armstrong and thinks the man did no wrong. Another man who has to imitate HWA in everything.
Greetings brethren,
It is out of sincere love and concern that I write you this letter.
As you have noticed, a prophecy series titled “The Greatest Untold Story” (TGUS) has taken root in the Restored Church of God (RCG) with over 270 sermons given. This series has changed the entire landscape of, not only prophetic truth but also doctrinal truth. Strange, unusual, confusing, and dark teachings have been the result from this series. There have been over 100 changes to the precious truths that RCG once adhered to.
Many of you know that something is wrong in RCG but do not know what to do. The information contained in the articles in the following website and Drop box link are the key in helping you understand what is occurring in RCG and the action you must take. They will help you find the “way of escape” that has been promised by a loving God out of the severe trial that you are going through;
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3wyaqu95dohkb0l/AABCfWVok67Ft3Jcu0CWXdl4a?dl=0
https://www.therwcg.org/articles
These articles will begin to remove the false doctrines that you have absorbed during the last 5 years and they will begin to reestablish the doctrinal truths that were restored by Jesus Christ to the Worldwide Church of God during the Philadelphia era. They will help you identify the true end-time Elijah and will reassure you of the teachings that God’s 20th century apostle, Mr. Armstrong, who was known for not compromising, taught the Church. You will hear him talk to you as you read this material as these documents are filled with quotes from him. These articles will bring clarity in a time of doctrinal change and confusion.
It is important to note that when heresy takes root in the Church, Christ will cease to guide it and He will remove Himself from it. This is what He commands all Christians to do in Romans 16:17, it is what Mr. Armstrong instructed the Church members to do, and because Christ would not disobey His own command, it is what He would do as well. Therefore, once the heresies from the TGUS took root in RCG, Christ stopped leading this organization and it ceased from being the one true Church, the body of Christ. The following are a couple of helpful quotes from the teachings of the Philadelphia era of the Church of God:
“Before Jesus answered His disciples as to WHEN the END of the age and His return would come, He warned them against FALSE MINISTERS, deceiving the many. If possible, He said, they would deceive the VERY ELECT — YOU in God's Church.
“As the Apostle Paul warned the elders at Ephesus: ‘For I know this, that... grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also OF YOUR OWN SELVES [the ministers in God's Church] shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore WATCH... ‘! (Acts 20:29-31.)
“Brethren, could this BE God's true Church, and such things not happen to us? This sort of thing DID HAPPEN to God's TRUE CHURCH in the very first century. They only PROVE this is GOD'S Church which He is USING and blessing! But SATAN IS ANGRY. Satan deceives even some from within us. They will falsely accuse. They will MISLEAD with false doctrines which they will palm off as TRUTH!
Good News Magazine, “Why Did God Put You in His Church?”, Herbert W Armstrong, May 1974
“But during these 43 years, I have frequently been pressured to compromise – ‘just a little’ – with God’s TRUTH.
“But honestly, now, WHAT DO YOU THINK? Wouldn't it be all right to compromise, ‘just a little,’ on some ‘unimportant minor point’? Especially on some ostensibly unimportant point where we appear ‘crazy’ to the world.
“Nevertheless, if we begin to compromise with God's TRUTH, even in smallest, slightest manner, we have allowed Satan to get a foot into the door of the Church, and soon he will push open the door (he is stronger than we) and take over the whole Church.
“A little leaven leavens the WHOLE LUMP! In my position, as chosen by the living CHRIST to be first under Him in AUTHORITY over the Church and the Work, I have been charged with the commission of KEEPING GOD'S WORD. Keeping it inviolate – NO COMPROMISE! I have NEVER compromised with God's TRUTH – regardless of the cost or the circumstances. I never shall!”
Good News Magazine, “Personal”, Herbert W. Armstrong, December 1976, Page 1 & 28
Let it be known that the individuals who introduce false doctrines, which are teachings that are contrary to the truth, are the ones responsible for causing division and not those who stand up for the truth (Romans 16:17).
And let there be no doubt that when a true minister or leader of the Church begins teaching error, i.e. doctrines contrary to the truths that were restored to the Church by Jesus Christ through His chosen apostle Mr. Armstrong, they disqualify themselves as men of truth (Exodus 18:21) and as ministers of the one true God. And the ministers that allow these individuals to deceive the members of the Church also disqualify themselves as ministers if they do not stand up for the truth. This is confirmed in the Word of God (II Corinthians 11:4, 13-15) and it is perfectly in line with what Mr. Armstrong taught the Church:
“A true minister of God must study, preach and live by EVERY word of God! If a man tells you something that he knows disagrees with God's revealed Word, he instantly disqualifies himself from being a true minister of Christ! Isaiah 8:20 and Matthew 4:4 confirm this!”
Tomorrows World, “What About False Prophets?”, November –December 1970
“In the very beginning of the Church of God in the 1st century, there were false apostles and there were those who went out from the Church for selfish gain or for revenge even as today. The apostle Paul speaking to the elders, which means the ministers of the Church of Ephesus said quote, ‘Also of your own selves’ that is speaking of you ministers ‘shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them’ Acts 20:30. That’s exactly what happened…
“To the Church at Corinth Paul wrote, this is quoted from the Bible ‘But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus’ which they do. They don’t preach the same Jesus. ‘whom we have not preached, or ifye receive another spirit’ and they are of a different spirit ‘which ye have not received, or another gospel ‘another doctrine’ which ye have not accepted’ II Corinthians 11:3-4.
“Now who was trying to turn these members of God’s Church to some watered down doctrine or other teaching. Paul says they were men serving Satan and therefore Satan’s ministers. Notice, the same chapter, just a few verses later he says ‘For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into’ and that is professing themselves to be ‘apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers’ now notice that, it is actually Satan’s ministers, his ministers, perhaps even themselves deceived into believing they are serving Christ. But if Satan’s ministers ‘also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness’, these ministers will never admit they’re Satan’s ministers. They’ll tell you they’re ministers of Christ.”
Bible Study, “Romans 15-16”, Herbert W Armstrong, July 7, 1980
Some have asked, “Why would God allow heresy, false teachers or false prophets to infiltrate the one true Church?” Although God has allowed this to happen, He is not the author of it. But God allows this to happen as a test for His people. It is a way that He can know whether you will follow the truth, and thus the living HEAD of the Church Jesus Christ, no matter the consequences.
“Why does God allow wolves to have access to His flock? Why doesn't He expose them before they do any harm? He has His reasons!
“The first and most basic scripture about false prophets explains why. ‘If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul’ (Deut. 13:1-3).
“God wants his flock to stay with Him and the truth no matter what.”
Good News Magazine, “Beware of False Prophets”, May 1979
Brethren of the one true God, a test such as this is meant to reveal your loyalty to the one true God. It is intended to establish your faithfulness to your Creator. And it is designed to develop the gold in your character that can only come from a trial such as this. But this will only happen if you “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints”, which are the truths that were established during the Philadelphia era of the Church by Jesus Christ (Revelation 3:8 & 10), the living HEAD of the Church, through His faithful apostle, Mr. Herbert W Armstrong.
I was a minister in RCG who served in Florida and Texas from 2012 through 2019. My family and I left this organization in the spring of 2019 because of the many doctrinal changes that were a result from TGUS. We had to leave in order to stay in the truth and in the Church that is led by Jesus Christ. One final quote from Mr. Armstrong is in order as he instructs you on the course of action that you must take:
“Well, supposing that one even who has received the Holy Spirit changes his mind and wants to go off a different way and he begins to cause friction and trouble. Some will say ‘Yeah, you are still going to have friction in the Church.’ Oh, no. We are not, brethren. No we're not! And I want to show you why.
“Next we have to turn back to Romans, the last chapter of Romans, the 16th chapter and verse 17 where Paul says; ‘Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them.’
“Different doctrines, they are causing division, they are causing trouble. That is what we had in the past. And the REASON that we had it was we said, ‘Well, we must be more loving and more kind and more good than God and we must just leave them in among us.’ God says, MARK THEM AND AVOID THEM. Now there are two ways we can avoid them, and only two that I know. One is if we leave them in the Church and we all go out, we're no longer in the Church. The other is that we put them out, and we stay in.”
Sermon, “Unity”, Herbert W Armstrong, February 4, 1984
You now have the tools with the articles in the reference website and in the Drop box link that will help you recover from the path that you are currently in. May God help each and every one of you find your way back to the faith that was once delivered unto the saints before it’s too late!
With love and sincerity and in Christ’s service,
Luis Garcia
(phone number deleted)
P.S. Should you have any questions or if you would like to talk, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone or by email. If I am unable to answer the phone, please leave a voicemail and I will call you back as soon as I am able. You will not hear from me again unless you initiate the next contact.
